Darlington Table Tennis Club, based at the Dolphin Centre, have stolen a march on other top level outfits in the British League Premiership with the signing of former English number one Carl Prean, from the Isle of Wight.

The 37-year-old has relinquished his commitments to league tennis in Germany after 18 years and is looking forward to his first forays in the top English league at the end of this month.

Darlington moved very quickly to make the signing once it was known Prean was available.

Darlington manager Keith Wilson said: "He is an absolute top class professional and we are looking forward to what he can do for us. We obtained his official registration on December 27 and he has been training our young players during the Christmas holiday period. The likes of David Meads and Bradley Evans are thrilled to have him on board."

The club have also signed Euan Walker, the Scottish number one. He is now 31 and has finished a lengthy spell playing in the Swiss League. Like Prean, he wished to return to competitive team play in Britain. Walker is not unknown to the area, having a spell at Darlington when a junior.

The first team's fortunes should be boosted considerably with these two recruits.

They are in danger of relegation with eight of the 14 fixtures already played and the team languishing in bottom spot with only two points, but the nearest opposition are just two or three points better off.

Matthew Kenny (21), Bradley Evans (17) and David Meads (15), all fast developing young players ranked 21st, 33rd and 42nd respectively in England, will continue to play for the first team. Along with Michael Marsden (23), ranked 35th, they will be rotated by Wilson for the last six fixtures.

The second team will thus be boosted in their attempt to take first spot in division one north. They currently stand two points behind Elgre Nottingham I.

Marsden plus Eddie Smith, Andrew Wilkinson, Andrew Leighton and Kevin Wilson would be expected to meet the challenge, but another new recruit will reinforce the chance.

He is Roman Doryn, who arrived in England in August from Poland and has already established himself in the rankings at number 28. He has been based in Lancashire, but is a current practice partner of Marsden.

Italy's Fabio Mantegazza is also back in England and has offered his services to Darlington if an emergency arises.